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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · object · pop · safe · fine · stand · kid · march

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. march — the month
  3. kid — to tease
  4. march — music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pop — music
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — to protest
  18. pop — soda
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com